Former Mississauga mayor and current Ontario Liberal leader Bonnie Crombie is set to announce this week which Mississauga riding she will contest in the upcoming February 27 election, expected to be triggered by Premier Doug Ford.
Crombie told that her decision will be revealed on Wednesday, with Mississauga Centre and Mississauga East—Cooksville emerging as the most likely options.
- Mississauga Centre: Incumbent PC MPP Natalia Kusendova-Bashta is running for re-election.
- Mississauga East—Cooksville: This riding remains open for Crombie, as former independent MPP Kaleed Rasheed announced he would not seek re-election after resigning from Ford’s cabinet in 2023 following an integrity investigation.
Speculation about Crombie’s candidacy in Mississauga has swirled for months. Though there were rumors she might run in a Milton byelection last May, Crombie made it clear she would focus on a riding within her hometown city.
The Ontario Liberals have announced candidates in four of Mississauga’s six ridings:
- Mississauga—Malton: Liberal Jawad Haroon faces PC MPP Deepak Anand.
- Mississauga—Erin Mills: Liberal Qasir Dar challenges PC MPP Sheref Sabawy.
- Mississauga—Lakeshore: Liberal Elizabeth Mendes takes on PC MPP Rudy Cuzzetto.
- Mississauga—Streetsville: Liberal Jill Promoli, a Peel school board trustee, challenges PC MPP Nina Tangri.
These ridings are poised for familiar showdowns, as the same Liberal and PC candidates contested in the 2022 provincial election, which saw Ford’s Progressive Conservatives sweep all six Mississauga seats on their way to a second majority government.
As of Monday morning, the Ontario NDP and Green Party had not declared candidates in any Mississauga ridings, leaving the Liberal-PC battles as the primary focus for voters in the city.
A Turning Point for Mississauga Politics
Crombie’s announcement and the February election are expected to shape the political landscape in Mississauga, a key battleground for all parties. With Ford’s PCs defending their stronghold and Crombie leading the Liberal resurgence, the city will be pivotal in determining Ontario’s next government.
Stay tuned for Wednesday’s announcement to find out which riding Bonnie Crombie will contest.